Queensland Ambulance has put on social media its heatwave advice and urged everyone to stay cool and hydrated.

During a heatwave save your outdoor workouts for early morning or evening & avoid strenuous activity during the middle of the day

Most important don't wait until you're thirsty to drink water: drink regularly during the day to stay hydrated.

The Animal Welfare League also used social media to remind pet owners to help their furry friends survive the heat.

Access to water and shade were paramount for pet safety.

For those with air conditioners, so as to minimise risk to power supplies keep the setting on 23 degrees and for those with out air conditioning, air fans and plenty of water nearby and avoid strenuous activity.

If you do need to be out in the sun then be sure to drink plenty of fluids, wear light or loose clothing & be sun smart!

Additional Tips to keep cool

1. Frozen Washcloths
Although it sounds a little odd, and will provide some relief especially on those nights where it is too hot to sleep. Take a washcloth and soak it in water, wring and shape into a "U" and stick in the freezer. Once the washcloth is frozen, take it out and wrap it around your neck. The cooling will distribute to the rest of the body quickly and the cool lasts long enough for one to fall asleep.

2. Damp Towel
Hang a damp towel over an open window (as long as you are getting a breeze) to provide a cooler breeze. This will give a little relief but we have not found it as effective as the frozen washcloth in tip 1.

3. Ice Water + Fan
Stick a bowl of ice water in front of your fan to help circulate the cooler air. We were surprised at how well this worked when sitting at a desk with a small fan and bowl of ice water.

4. Close & Cover
Unless there is a cool breeze coming in those windows, it is best for them to be closed and covered. Block sunny heat rays by using heavier than usual curtains.

5. Drink plenty of water

Getting a good nights sleep is possible

If you have air conditioning having a good nights sleep on hot summer nights are generally no problem however with so many homes without this luxury, even thinking of getting a good nights sleep is almost out of the question while it's sweltering outside resulting in little more then little to no shut-eye.

Everyone needs to take their sleep more seriously, most of what makes a successful nights sleep is bringing the body down to its optimal temperature of between 17 and 20C.

When its 24C the body reaches thermoneutral zone, this is where body takes active measures to regulate temperatures.

Our bodies are then faced with while it's too hot, is to try and regulate the surface temperature.

This regulating process is what keeps people up.

So while you attempt to sleep, the brain is still active and if there's something that the brain sees as a threat or discomfort and is unable to deal with it automatically, it will take active steps to change it forcing you waking up to adjust the fan, having a drink of water or repositioning the body out of discomfort."

Don't want to fork out money to have air conditioning, so what are your options?

A healthy person's body temperature generally ranges from 36.5-37.5C and will release heat through the hands and feat to keep that temperature.

So firstly, ensure that there's no covers around the torso or covering the feet so while you sleep it's essential to get as much skin exposure as possible so sweat can be evaporated off the body, options include: lightweight linen that is quite absorbent is a good start, so choose cottons over nylons.

Your sleepwear should be the same, and if being naked isn't your thing, opt for breathable clothing.

While fans are the obvious go-to on hot nights, there are a few cost-effective tricks to cooling down during balmy summer nights.

Try placing a wet towel over you. The towel will hold moisture and will be cold and damp without getting overly wet. Otherwise, wet down your sheets before putting them on your bed. Put them on a spin cycle, so they are just damp and not dripping wet.

Try filling up a hot water bottle and popping in the freezer to create a bed-friendly ice pack.

If you do have fans, be creative. Don't fall into the trap of having the fan pointing directly at you while you sleep. If you have a box fan, point it out the windows so that hot air is pushed out, and adjust ceiling fan settings so the blades run counter clockwise, pulling hot air up and out instead of just twirling it around the room.

To minimise heat in the bedroom, disconnect your electronics and keep plugs out of sockets. During hot days, they give off heat, even when switched off.

As the heat rises, get lower. If you’re in a multi-storey dwelling, head downstairs. If you can't do that, keep as low as you can. Under a tree, or in a swimming pool.

It’s amazing what a difference a chilled glass of water can do, so keep a jug of H2O in the fridge. Another idea is to fill up a squirting bottle and keep it in the fridge as well, so you can give yourself a cooling mist when needs-be.

Grab a pedestal fan, set up a bowl of ice or wet tea towel in front of it and turn it on. Presto! Air-con.

Turn off incandescent lightbulbs (if you still have them) and powerful appliances (except the refrigerator, obviously) which produce ambient heat. And don’t even think of using the oven.

Dreading a long night in the heat? Try chilling your pillowcase in the fridge (in a freezer bag so it stays dry). You also can dampen a T-shirt you sleep in or a washcloth for your forehead before heading to bed.

Some parts of our bodies get hotter than others. Running your wrists under cold water can help cool you down. Others swear by going to bed in damp socks.